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Loretta Woods

WOODS, Loretta Julia (DiFilippo,) peacefully passed away on January 6, 2013.

A memorial mass and celebration of her life will be held this Saturday, 10:30 a.m., January 19, 2013 at Holy Family Parish, 2608 Hollywood Blvd., Steubenville, OH.

Please join our family in remembering her love and laughter.

Loretta Woods

WOODS, Loretta Julia, or Mam Mam as she was also known, changed many lives with the overflowing love she shared with everyone she met.

She was born in Steubenville, Ohio on Sept. 15, 1930, the second of four Italian-American siblings born to Andrew and Mary DiFilippo: Bette Glenn (Robert), Lou DiFilippo (Ruth Ann), and Terri McKelvey (Joseph).

After graduating from Steubenville High School in 1948 she married John C. Woods.

They were married 36 years and had two daughters, Deborah and Wendy, and a son, John.

She adored her seven grandchildren (Jim, Danielle, Breanne, Taylor, Bailey, Vincent, and Franco), her adopted grandson (Jackson), and her four great-grandchildren, (John, Aiden, Clara, and David).

Loretta loved to sing and could brighten a room with the Chiquita Banana song. She also enjoyed cooking and crosswords. She even tried her hand at belly dancing once.

She was diagnosed 10 years ago with Alzheimer’s but never lost her sense of humor and continued to make new friends at the Gardens of Western Reserve where she spent the last year-and-a-half of her life.

She will be missed by those who knew her intimately, and by those who only knew her briefly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington D.C. 20090-6011 or Crossroads Hospice, 3743 Boettler Oaks Drive, Green OH 44685.

Calling hours will be held Tues, Jan. 8 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Bissler and Son’s Funeral Home, 628 West Main St., Kent, OH. Memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. at Kent United Church of Christ, 1400 E. Main St., Kent, OH.